Red Cross Envoy Still Trying to Visit Israelis Held by Egypt

October 31, 1957

GENEVA (Oct. 30)

A spokesman for the International Red Cross denied today reports that the organization’s special envoy to the Middle East was due to return to Geneva to present a full report on his efforts in behalf of the six-man crew of the Israel fishing trawler, the Doron, detained by Egypt since September 25.

The spokesman said the Red Cross envoy was still negotiating with Egyptian authorities and was not expected to return to Geneva “for the time being.” It was learned that the Red Cross has little hope of being allowed to visit the six fishermen and that it was not considering serious action to press Egypt to comply with the Geneva convention governing the detention of the crew and the 70-ton trawler. The Red Cross hopes that there will be a prompt release of the crew to release the international agency from its present “face-losing enterprise.”